Guest Producer Stephanie Billman helps guide us through the feelings, emotions, and history of the most violent, loaded word in the English lexicon, The N-Word. With guests Dr. Neil Lester, Dr. David ... View More

Nerf-herder? Frack? Farking Zarquon? Guest producers Forrest Phillips and Emily Block guide us through cursing in fictional Worlds. Special guests include Marc Okrand - creator of Star Trek’s Klingon ... View More

Matt talks to Marc Okrand about cursing in Klingon. The fictional Star Trek language that has become nearly as popular as the franchise itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat... View More

Certain topics in our society aren’t considered proper to talk about. To make it easier to talk about such sensitive subjects, we have invented terms that dance around the issues, instead of facing th... View More

In this week's minicast, Matt reflects on a death that is close to him and how we use or don't use words about "dead". We talk a little with Rabbi Physllis Sommer to help explain. Hosted on Acast. See... View More

Are you allowed to play swear words in scrabble? And if you really can, why aren’t they listed in the official scrabble player’s dictionary? Competitive scrabble players Stephan Fatsis and Brian Richg... View More

In this minicast, Matt ponders why it's not okay to use the phrase, "Jew them down" ,but it's okay to say, "I've been gypped". Both words are considered offensive in their communities, but even people... View More

On this episode of Very Bad Words, we put the last four words on George Carlin’s list on trial. Are these two 4-letter words, and two compound unequivocally indecent under all circumstances? With dirt... View More

George Carlin laid out the 7 words that can never be said on television, but of course he meant, American Television. In today’s minicast, Matt talks to British linguist, Damien Hall, to find out if t... View More

On this episode of Very Bad Words, we are talking about Yo Mama! We bring in producer Joaquin Cotler and his interview with blues singer and historian Gaye Adegbalola to explore the connection of the ... View More

On this minicast, Matt talks to one of our listeners about how terms of abuse are used to dehumanize certain segments of society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View More

There are many ways people refer to the human penis, but one word sticks out as the most vulgar. Join us as we learn about the other c-word, its complicated origins, and why it doesn’t mean the same t... View More

Matt talks to Superhero PhD, Peter Coogan about why Superman is a d*ck and a Batman is an a-hole. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View More

In this episode, Matt tries to find out if a study saying that swearing has an "opiate" like effect on pain is valid. He calls in journalist Jeff Harder, doctoral Northwestern student, Jim Kloet and p... View More

In this Minicast, Matt goes to a Karate Dojo to chase a story about swearing and pain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View More

Is the B-Word the “most stinging word that we use carelessly”? To explore this, the word’s history, and other questions regarding this common expletive, we talk to Shannon Dea, associate professor in ... View More

In this Minicast, Matt briefly chats with Shannon Dea about who gets to reclaim words like "slut" and the B-word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View More

Matt is back after a break with a bunch of new topics around swearing and taboo language. In this Minicast, he lets you all know a little about what he has coming up for Very Bad Words. Hosted on Acas... View More

Matt tells a story about his foul-mouthed Irish friend and wonders what you would like to get out of the new season of Very Bad Words. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View More

Matt is joined by Dan Savage, creator of "It Gets Better" and Savage Love to talk about the cultural impact and reclamation of the Fa-word. He also talks with Mark Morton, author of Dirty Words: The S... View More